§ 4. But if a case cannot be tried during the ses sion for want of testimony, the Annual Conference may refer it to one of the District Superintendents, who shall proceed as directed in ¶ 243, § 1, and the Conference shall determine whether the case seems to be of such gravity as to require that the Minister be left without appointment until investigation shall be held.

¶ 257. When a Minister is tried on a charge of immorality, and the Annual Conference, or the Select Number, shall find that this charge is not sustained by the evidence, but that the Minister has been proven guilty of "high imprudence and unministerial conduct," it may declare this fact, and may by this finding reprove the offender, or may subject him to suspension, or deprivation of his Ministerial Office and Credentials.

¶ 258, § 1. In case any Member of an Annual Conference shall have been deposed from the Ministry without being expelled from the Church, he shall have his membership in the Church where he resided at the time of his deposition.

§ 2. In case any Member of an Annual Conference shall have been deposed from the Ministry or expelled from the Church for teaching publicly or privately doctrines contrary to our Articles of Religion, or our other present existing and established standards of doctrine, he shall not again be licensed to preach until he shall have satisfied the Conference from which he was deposed or expelled, and shall have promised in writing to desist wholly from disseminating such doctrine.

¶ 259. After a Minister shall have been tried regularly and expelled he shall have no Privileges of

Society or Sacraments in our Church, without contrition, reformation, and confession, satisfactory to the Annual Conference by which he was expelled.

¶ 260. When a Member of an Annual Conference is accused of immorality and desires to withdraw from the Church, the Annual Conference may permit him to withdraw; in which case the record shall be, "Withdrawn under Complaints." If formal charges of immorality have been presented, he may be permitted to withdraw; in which case the record shall be, "Withdrawn under Charges"; and if thus "Withdrawn under Complaints," or "Withdrawn under Charges," his relation to the Church shall be the same as if he had been expelled.

CHAPTER IV

TRIAL OF A PREACHER ON TRIAL

261. A Preacher on Trial in an Annual Conference, in reference to Amenability and Appeal is considered as a Local Preacher; but in his case the District Superintendent shall perform the duties which are assigned to the Preacher in Charge in the case of an accused Local Preacher.

CHAPTER V

TRIAL OF A LOCAL PREACHER

¶ 262. When a Local Preacher, ordained or unordained, is accused of any violation of the moral law, the Preacher in Charge shall call a Committee of In

vestigation, consisting of three or more Local Preachers, before which it shall be the duty of the accused to appear, and by which, if the charge be sustained, he shall be suspended from all Ministerial services and Church privileges until the next District or Quarterly Conference; which Conference shall try the case, and if the accused be found guilty the Conference shall suspend, deprive of ministerial office and credentials, or expel him. (¶ 214, § 4.) But a Local Preacher may be tried by a District or Quarterly Conference without preliminary investigation, provided due notice shall have been given him.

263. Should the District Conference having jurisdiction in the case of an accused Local Preacher judge it expedient to try him by a Select Number, it may appoint not less than nine nor more than fifteen of its Members for that purpose, the accused having the right of challenge for cause; which Select Number, in the presence of the President of the District Conference, or of an Elder appointed by him, and a Secretary appointed by the said Conference, shall have full power to consider and determine the case according to the rules applicable thereto; and the Secretary shall make a correct report in writing of all the proceedings and evidence to the Secretary of the District Conference, and shall deliver to him all the papers in the case.

¶ 264, § 1. In case of improper temper, words, or actions, the Local Preacher so offending shall be admonished by the Preacher in Charge. Should a second transgression take place, one or two members of the church are to be taken as witnesses. If he continue to offend, the case shall be investigated as provided in ¶ 262, or he shall be tried at the next

District or Quarterly Conference, and, if found guilty and impenitent, he shall be expelled from the Church. § 2. If, on due trial by the District or Quarterly Conference, a Local Preacher be found neglectful of his duties as a Local Preacher or unacceptable in his Ministry, he may be deprived of his ministerial office; in which case, if he be ordained, the District Superintendent shall require him to deliver up his credentials, that they may be returned to the Annual Conference.

§ 3. A Local Preacher who shall hold religious services within the bounds of a Pastoral Charge when requested by the Preacher in Charge not to do so, shall be deemed guilty of imprudent conduct, and if he persist, after admonition by the Superintendent of the District within which the offense has been committed, he may be brought to investigation or trial, either or both of which may take place in the charge and under the proper officers of the Church where the forbidden service has been held.

265. If a Local Preacher disseminate, publicly or privately, doctrines which are contrary to our Articles of Religion, or our other present existing and established standards of doctrine, the same procedure shall be observed as is prescribed in TT 262, 263.

NOTE.-Touching complaints against a Local Preacher for erroneous teaching in a Theological School, see ¶¶ 246, 247.

¶ 266. If a Local Preacher shall fail in business, or contract debts which he is not able to pay, the Preacher in Charge shall appoint three judicious members of the Church to inspect the accounts, contracts, and circumstances of the supposed delinquent;

and if, in their opinion, he has behaved dishonestly. or contracted debts without a reasonable probability of paying, the same procedure shall be observed as is prescribed in ¶¶ 262, 263.

¶ 267. If, in the judgment of the District Superintendent, a fair and impartial trial cannot be had in the Quarterly Conference where the accused holds his membership, the District Superintendent may refer the case for trial to some other Quarterly Conference within the bounds of his District.

¶ 268. If the trial is by the Quarterly Conference, the accused shall have the right of challenge for cause. If by reason of said challenge or other cause the number of the members of the Quarterly Conference present shall fall below seven, which number shall be required for a quorum in case of any such trial, the Quarterly Conference, if the District Superintendent so request, shall adjourn to a subsequent date, to be named by him, to try the case; or, the District Superintendent may refer it to some other Quarterly Conference in his District.

¶ 269, § 1. In Missions in the United States, its Territories, and insular possessions the power to try Local Preachers shall remain with the respective Quarterly Conferences; but Local Preachers so tried and convicted shall have the right of appeal to the Annual Meeting of the Mission.

§ 2. The Ministerial members of the General Committee of Home Missions and Church Extension shall constitute a Judicial Conference to hear appeals of Local Preachers convicted at an Arnual Meeting of a Mission; such Judicial Conference to be presided over by a Bishop.